Early Fall afternoon In Superior country.
A dead calm on the lake water
Beautiful reflections
Tag Archives: Batchewana
Shoreline Exploring
It is always of intertest when I explore Lake Superior’s shoreline
Wading through shadow water
Struggling through dense underbrush
Climbing over rock structures
It is always an adventure
To find the next composition
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Back Roads, Batchawana
A travelled logging road
A small lake, swampy
The hills awash in color
Not a breath of a wind
Artist reflections on calm waters
A scene from the North Country
Lake Superior country
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Superior, North of Batchawana
The rugged shoreline of Lake Superior
Of an age long gone
Trees struggling for survival
In a harsh environment
Strong cold winds , gale force
Yet here they belong
The pounding of the waves
On a wild November day
The ominous sky is gray
Reshaping the rocks of a volcanic age
The shoreline constantly changing
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Mica Bay, Lake Superior
Mica Bay, Lake Superior. This was one of my enjoyable evenings spent exploring the shoreline of Mica Bay, Lake Superior.
The evening was becoming late as I observed this scene. The lake was rolling gently. The exposure would be long. That would create a dreamy affect on the water. More so in the foreground. I cast around for a suitable collection of rocks at the water’s edge. The composition soon came together in my mind. I set my tripod as low as I could set it. Therefore, allowing me to create an illusion of less water. To tighten the composition I shot vertically. Too much water would spoil the effect of the composition.
I stretched out on the beach. Being eye level showed me my composition as I wanted it. Thus I was able to create my scene.
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Stream Side Maple
There was a lovely maple tree overhanging a small stream that I passed many times on a logging road. The logging road was near Batchawana. I do not know the name of this stream, other than it flowed into the nearby Carp River. On a return trip from photographing other locations, I stopped on the side of the road to capture this scene. There is a small bridge that the stream flowed under. This is where I set up my tripod and camera. At this late in the evening it was calm and subdued. There was also no danger of a logging truck appearing.
The maple tree in the foreground gives you the eye popping colors. The stream was used to give a sense of peace and tranquility from the bold maple tree. A large rock is in the foreground to give a sense of depth and size. Most of the forest in the background has been eliminated by the maple tree. Thus also reduces the color green. There is a shallow pool in the background with muted reflections. Again quiet solitude. Then the stream disappears around the bend.
I received an honorable mention at the Art Competition Seeing The Land.
While that is all for now. I am preparing another book at the moment. It is taken up most of my time. The weather here has been crappy at the moment. So until next time happy trails
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A Boggy Place
I was exploring the logging roads in back of Batchawana. It was a wonderful feeling to watch the road ahead. I was driving through a canopy of vibrant fall colors. Cresting hills to a view of hill tops alive with dynamic colors that only Fall can give. Making my way along the side of theses hills with a stream flowing far below. Looking past the stream to the craggy rock faces through the tree canopy. The road was in good repair as they were hauling logs here. As I approached the Y in the road I turned right onto a narrower gravel road. Both sides of the road had been cut over. With it being late evening I had no worries of meeting a log truck. I had conversed with the logging people. From them I learned that they were finished each day by 6:00 PM. This piece of road had very few pull offs and it was relatively new.
I came upon this composition in the cutting area. With some vibrant color in the background. The ghostly appearance of the Black Spruce in decay reflecting upon the water. Small boggy islands in the middle ground for added depth. Then the total reflection in the foreground. I purposely left out the sky for more even lighting over the scene. This is one of those compositions that can seem busy.This is a very detailed scene overall. But at the same time alive and peaceful. These locations are one of my favorites to just sit and absorb the wealth of color and patterns involved. But overall I like the final composition. Remember rules can be broken.
That is it for this week. Until next time happy trails
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Batchawana Back Country
Algoma, a land of rugged scenery. Canadian artists have come here to paint and photograph over the years. A popular destination of the Group of Severn. A land covered in old growth trees. I drove up to Pancake Bay on September 22, 2014. Upon turning North out of Sault Ste Maria the scenery becomes awash with color and rolling hills stretching for miles. I drove into Pancake Provincial Park, whereby I set up my base camp to work from. The weather turned out warm and sunny during the week that I was here. The Fall colors were in full swing.
The next morning bright and sunny, I drove to the Voyageur Restaurant. There I met a friend Brian King and his pal Joe. With map and coffee in hand we all sat at the picnic table that was available. Joe was born and raised in this part of the country. I was able to get quite a bit of info on were to explore. It was my quest to explore the back country here in the Batchewana area. There are many roads to chose from. Some were in excellent shape to a few that were a little rough at times. But they were all quite manageable. My favorite road turned out to be logging road that was at the present being used by a logging company. Once I came to know the schedule of the workers I could then plan my shots. The good thing they were all finished working by 6:00 pm and heading home. The logging trucks were my main concern. If you meet these guys pull over.
Along this road I found five good compositions to work with. This particular scene was a swampy area with lots of color. I had a hill in the background. Water for reflections. Points of land on either side with Maples in full color. The reflections worked really well to fill in the foreground. Your eye follows the water to the background. The two points of land keep you focused on the back of the photo.
Like I said previously it was a great week to be here. The joys of travelling these roads through tunnels of Maples in full color to cresting a hill to a colorful view of another hill ahead. Then descending down into another wealth of color. Travelling along the side of a hill with a stream flowing below you. I managed to get in a fishing trip with my new found friend Joe. We caught a few Speckled Trout. Had a great time together. Looking forward to more of this. I also met quite a few folks in and around the Voyageur Restaurant area. It became routine to stop in for a cup of coffee in the afternoon. When people know what you are doing they will be glad to fill you in on the good scenic spots. Getting off the beating path can produce some great work.
This coming Saturday at the Killarney Mountain Lodge, Killarney, Ontario, my good friend Andy Lowe will be holding a concert where upon he will be releasing his new cd. For a sample of Andy’s work check out this video,
So until next time happy trails
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Ken Bennison's Photography 